Hello!
My name is Leonora, and the best way to introduce myself is by telling you my story and how I became a circus performer.
When you hear a story about someone running away with the circus you usually think it's an urban legend. No one in their right mind would do that, it's not even possible, right?
Well, I did.
I used to be what circus people call a townie, I lived by myself with my two cats, worked as a Waldorf elementary school teacher, went to tango classes, taught aerial silks at a local, stable circus and, as a hobby, worked at the same circus on weekends doing aerial silks in their shows. A normal and happy life.
And then it happened, Chayanne, my now life and stage partner, a fourth circus generation no less, was in town on holidays from his tour and came to the circus to visit. We didn’t like each other in the beginning, but the director put us together in an act and then high up in the circus stage our eyes met... The rest is history.
I fell in love, quit my job and ran away.
Joining the circus is not as easy as one would think. They have very high standards, especially if you are a townie! They don’t expect you to be very good onstage to be honest, so you have to really prove yourself to them.
It was blood, sweat and tears, literally.
Not only do you have to rehearse your ticks but also you have to practice how you walk, stand, style and even how you look at your audience.
You need to learn how to fill the circus stage, or “it will eat you up” as they say. You learn to do your makeup right, so you look the part. You have to tie your hair tiiiiight! Or your hair piece will positively fly off and you will want to die seeing the horrified face of a child whose snow cone was just invaded by what used to be your glamorous ponytail.
Wardrobe malfunctions are something you have to learn to prevent and deal with, like your top falling off or getting untied while you are holding on to dear life and pride with both hands to the trapeze. That is more common than you would think! It has happened to me twice already!
Thanks to all the training and all that Chayanne and other circus people taught me, we had the opportunity to go to Peru to a festival and… we won a medal! I still get super excited every time I remember that festival, especially because it is the highest we have ever worked our cradle act at 30 feet! And that first time climbing up the rope ladder, holding on to his hands as the ladder is being taken away, and looking down… It's a rush!
We have had the craziest adventures, and the members of my new circus family have also told me the best anecdotes. And I would love to share them with you, from being taught how to speak to tigers (and they answer back! Well, to Chayanne they do. I have to work on my tiger accent I guess) to life on the road and onstage.
So keep coming over, and I will let you in on it all!
Leonora Gabucio likes to refer to herself as a circus runaway.
Formerly a Waldorf school elementary teacher, she found love in a circus performer and together they decided to start a new life together on the road as a duet, defying all she thought she knew and becoming a whole new person.
Now she is a full-time circus performer, face painter, costume designer, cosplayer, and recently a mom!
She has a Youtube channel that tells her story in fun videos. As a circus performer she, along with her partner in crime, has won competitions as an international circus performing duo.
You can almost always find her training, performing, creating new cosplay or circus outfits and looks, playing with her baby and living life to the fullest!
See more of her work and interact with her here! 😃❤️🎨